Articles Posted inUtility Injuries

Another pedestrian fatality has been reported this year. This time, a utility truck struck and killed a pedestrian in Midtown Manhattan on Monday night. As reported by CBS New York, a woman was struck by a utility truck at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. Further details have not been reported at this time.

When an individual dies after being struck by a vehicle, their family may have grounds to file a wrongful death lawsuit. As with a regular negligence lawsuit, families filing a claim for wrongful death can recoup compensation for economic and non-economic damage. The compensation families can recover includes but is not limited to lost wages, medical bills, funeral costs, pain and suffering the victim suffered before death, loss of consortium, and loss of parental guidance.

At Queller, Fisher, Washor, Fuchs & Kool, our pedestrian accident attorneys handle lawsuits for injured victims as well as wrongful death claims for grieving families. Our attorneys realize the tremendous hardships a traffic accident can impose on victims and their families. As a result, we are committed to helping ease their financial burden. We will pursue maximum compensation for all damages victims and their families may have suffered due to the accident.

Two MTA workers were working on the tracks as flagman around 12:15am when they were struck by a southbound G train as it rounded a corner by East 3rd Street and Canton Avenue. According to CBS New York, the two were acting as flagman in preparation for construction by an outside contractor. Both of the men hit by the train were experienced MTA employees and, according to reports, were where they were supposed to be. Louis Gray, a 53 year-old man with 15 years of MTA experience was taken to Maimonides Hospital where he was pronounced dead. His co-worker, 49-year-old Jeffery Fleming, has worked for the MTA for 17 years. He is expected to survive despite his serious injuries. The cause of this accident remains under investigation and a team from the National Transportation Safety Board is on its way to New York City to investigate this tragic accident. It is unclear as to why the men were working on active subway tracks still being utilized by subway trains.

A primary concern in this matter is whether the workers and their families will be legally able to recover damages in a lawsuit or whether they will be barred by the New York Workers Compensation laws. If you are injured in an accident at work or contract an occupational disease, you should be eligible for workers’ compensation. If your employer does not have workers’ compensation insurance, it is required to be self-insured. Regardless, a work-related injury should be covered.

On January 8, 2013, NY1 reported that a ceiling collapsed in a historic building in Manhattan’s Murray Hill section. The building was undergoing renovations at the time of the collapse. Unfortunately, this is not the first incident of a ceiling collapse in recent years, but it is the most recent example of the potential dangers presented by older buildings throughout the city.

Our New York City injury attorneys wish a speedy recovery for those injured in the Murray Hill ceiling collapse. We are also concerned that the aging of many buildings in the New York City area could be increasing the risks faced by tenants and guests.